Survivors of the 2016 gas explosion call for more help from Montgomery County

HOUSING | Survivors of a 2016 gas explosion at a Silver Spring housing complex, which killed seven people, are asking Montgomery County council members to provide more services and assistance to help them cope with their trauma. (WaPo, 7/24)

Zuniga said it’s a rare day when he doesn’t think of the night of Aug. 10, 2016. He and his wife, Liseth Lacayo, who works at a beauty salon, had just gone to bed when they heard the noise. The floor of their apartment gave way. Zuniga said he was knocked unconscious, with second-degree burns on his legs; his wife was left to drag him from the rubble.

Now, Zuniga said, he and Lacayo live in another apartment in Silver Spring, managed by the same company that managed Flower Branch but charging a higher monthly rent.

“We still suffer mentally,” he said. “Every day, we cannot sleep because of the trauma we have. She cannot go to sleep. It’s hard to get sleep. Sometimes she wakes up crying. She’s the one suffering more than me.”

NONPROFITS | The Greater Washington Community Foundation is accepting applications through July 26th for its David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Award, which will grant up to $15,000 for leaders to participate in professional development programs that will enhance their leadership, creative thinking, strategy, and management skills. Learn more(GWCF, 7/23)

HEALTH
– How the District and several nonprofits responded to the lack of pharmacies in wards 7 and 8. (Street Sense, 7/16)